Early Space Server Planning

So in an earlier thread we voted to make an Early Space Colonization themed server as our first server of the year, though this didn't quite happen as the ever amazing Djzman (who we will miss as he's recently left us) put up his neat fantasy-themed server Worlds of Yonder, stealing the title of first server of 2015.

However, fear not for the early space server is NOT dead in the water! This thread is being made now so that we can begin to coordinate how to construct and operate it, I'd especially like to assemble a team of people to help get it built because I feel if this is going to be of a quality worthy of the Sci-Fi Mini Builders we're going to need all the help we can get at building a massive, detailed, and pretty nice looking map (all while also trying not to lag ourselves into oblivion).

One thing we should note is that this will NOT be our next server just due to what I feel is likely to be entailed with planning and building it, so we will be going with a quicker to build server while we sort this out which you can find out about over here.

Where to begin?

Well, in the earlier thread I believe these are some of the details we had kind of concluded on or at least began to discuss:

The server should focus on Mars, its moons, the asteroid belt, Jupiter, and the Gallilean moons;

The server should take place in an early point in human space exploration in which there is not major sophisticated space weaponization, planetary terraforming is at an early stage, and there is still much in this early region of space exploration to settle and explore;

The server should be limited to a handful of approved nations to keep RP realistic (e.g., Jamaica is not likely to be able to sustain a sophisticated space program nor is it likely to be capable of claiming a large chunk of Europa);

Players should be able to join the server as a company, charity, or other private or possibly public initiative for space under the flag of an approved nation - as opposed to each joining as their own nation - with potentially admin-approved players being given permission to oversee these nations and their interests in space;

Players should, at least in RP, begin the server around Mars and, should they wish to, head outward towards the asteroid belt and the Jovian system.

First off I think we should figure out how we're going to build the map? I know we've already begun to have a bit of discussion about some possible styles for the asteroids, which I think the asteroid belt is definitely going to be the trickiest part because we have to be able to maintain a fair quality, ensure people can build on the asteroids, while also ensuring we maintain a fair number (not too many not too few) without also lagging ourselves into oblivion.

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We might also want to decide on what nations are participating in the server, and establish the canon. I'm particularly interested in a once-united North America that had come out of a civil war recently.

So thinking about how to build the map, I feel like the biggest challenge is the asteroid field. It shouldn't be just a bunch of spam and it shouldn't be too under detailed tho it shouldn't necessarily be too over detailed either; they have to be usable and pleasant to look at and build on but also not be a serious drag on the server's performance.

So far, these are really the only designs I can think of though I'm open to other ideas:

From left to right you have: Solid modeling (1), a baseplate w/ mesh around it (2), a sphere (3), and bricks (4).

1 and 4 I feel like are the most work-intensive and 4 will for sure raise the brickcount through the roof without some uber efficient building and a very loose field (though I have no idea what impact solid models actually have - if unioning bricks reduces the load or just intensifies it), while I feel like 3 is under detailed and given it'd be meshed it wouldn't be easy or pleasent to build on. 2 is the traditional way to build most solid space bodies - throw in a baseplate and put a sphere mesh around it - though I have to admit it's not a very vissually pleasing method and I've never been very content with this method though never really had any more desirable options.

I agree with Sirl. However still I am uncertain whether it should be "Early" as it doesn't allow much creativity and doesn't really emphasize PMCs and Trading companies. IMO it should be relatively early so that FTL is not possible and capital ships do appear but they are expensive and rare. It would allow PMCs and Trading companies/corporations as the "Very Early" Would emphasize nations which wouldn't be ideal in sense of variation and rp.

Naw, I think this timeframe is perfect. The creativity is on the builder, not the theme and the early space already has the said companies.

About the asteroids, I think a low detail number 4 would work. The current one does seem to take up a lot of bricks, but you could simplify it. Also, have you tried those asteroid/rock meshes and spheres that aren't meshes?

Bigger scale planets like the ones tank, sirl and I once created, of course, they would be the planets on our Solar System, gas giants would not be put into detail, we should add Proxima Centauri with 2 habitable planets maybe?

So in a new thread almost 20 members came out to vote, the majority deciding that we should continue to work on an Early Space server.

However, that said, I will not personally be working on this server and have asked for volunteers among the admins, it'll be up to them whether they choose to also ask for volunteers. I hope that this server works out for the best however in the meantime I'll be working on some other stuff including SAP and wiki related matters and possibly starting on some other maps based on the results of the poll for future use.